Chaos Theory
by Fire Element13
Summary: /cha-os the-o-ry / noun. A theory that complex natural systems obey rules but are so sensitive that small initial changes can cause unexpected final results, thus giving an impression of randomness. Could this apply to people if influenced by events? L/J
1. Chapter 1

This is my first attempt at writing about this show. I really hope I got their characters right. Speaking of characters, I don't own anything or anyone from The Mentalist.

* * *

"I still don't get it," Cho said from his desk frowning. "Why a butterfly?"

Three pairs of eyes immediately shifted from their work to focus on the prodigal blond man casually lying across the leather sofa to reply.

Patrick Jane turned his head slightly to look at Cho and smiled. "Ah but that's the beauty of it isn't it? Such a small, frail and beautiful creature the creator of such a destructive event." Here Jane paused seemingly considering the irony and moved on. "However the point isn't the butterfly, although that is poetic in its own way. It's that something so small can alter events that can cause something incredibly bigger, hence the hurricane."

Van Pelt was the first one to try to make the theory simpler for Cho who was still looking confused. "Basically it just means that a tiny change in a system can cause a random chain of events that can have a large-scale impact."

Rigsby stared wide-eyed at the junior agent, awe barely hidden on his features. His infatuation was sometimes very obvious to his male counterparts but not so much so to the female ones. "How did you know that?" he asked.

"Easy," Jane answered before Van Pelt could. "She googled it. I heard the keyboard strokes all the way here."

Grace Van Pelt looked a bit sheepish sitting in front of her laptop but laughed anyway as she shot Jane a look. "Hey it was easier than having to wait for you to come full circle with your explanations. Cho was about to have a stroke."

"No I wasn't," Cho opposed as Jane and Rigsby laughed. "It's just that a butterfly is so unlikely to cause a hurricane. I would understand if it was something that actually had some menace to it like a tiger or elephant. But a butterfly? Sorry not buying it."

And he returned to the stack of paper he was supposed to have finished two days ago.

Rigsby shrugged from his corner. "I'm afraid I'm with Cho on that one," he said as he leaned his big frame back onto his chair. " I just can't see an insect's wings causing that much damage no matter what."

"Have you ever seen a swarm of locusts in action?" Van Pelt asked sweetly from her side.

Jane only smiled wider as he closed his eyes to the sound of the three agents' continued bickering. "Well it's just a theory," he whispered to no one in particular.

* * *

In the morning the three agents were already at their desks working on a new case but with the additional presence of their boss, Theresa Lisbon who was busy on her cell phone demanding lead on this new investigation. By the time the call ended she was positively fuming. She didn't like it when people saw her angry but the prehistoric Sheriff had pushed all her buttons and then some she didn't even know she had. But at least she had gotten what she wanted. The CBI was official in charge of this murder case.

The three agents were pretending they hadn't heard the exchange so they remained calm and unnoticed until Lisbon retreated to her office. She didn't slam her door because that wasn't something she did. Besides, that would be considered unprofessional. So she closed it gently to have a moment to subdue her sudden temper.

Patrick Jane soon walked into the office carrying a tray of coffees. Van Pelt sniffed the air and immediately reached out her hand for a cup. She wasn't disappointed when Jane handed it to her automatically as with the rest of the team. The routine good mornings were said and so began a new day at the CBI.

"Where is Lisbon?" he asked as his blue eyes looked around for the small brunette.

"In her office, but I wouldn't go in there if I was you," Rigsby said in a tone of warning.

Jane grinned as he ignored the warning. "I know. She isn't a morning person."

Just as Rigsby was about to wish him luck, Jane was already strolling confidently towards the closed door, two coffee cups perfectly balanced in the tray. Cho cringed hoping he wasn't going to say or do something that would make Lisbon even more furious.

From where they were sitting they only heard a slight knock followed by the opening of a door. Automatically they got back to the case at hand not really concerned with what was going on in their boss' office.

A few minutes later, a smiling Lisbon and Jane came out, each holding their coffee cups in their hands.

"Alright everyone," Theresa Lisbon announced almost happily. "Pack your things. We are going to Willows."

"Why there?" asked Van Pelt.

"Closest town to our murder. The body was found in the Mendocino National Forest, a great tourist spot. We need to get going now, it's more than a three hour drive."

No one wasted any time getting their stuff in order. Within half an hour they were all ready. Jane was looking at the big SUV when he heard Lisbon stop next to him.

"You aren't driving Jane," she said decisively, her black glasses covering the laughter in her eyes or so she thought.

"Ah but you said we needed to get there in a hurry," Jane hinted as he smiled boyishly down at her.

Just as Lisbon was about to open her mouth to protest, he interrupted her.

"I know you didn't say those words exactly but the impression of urgency was there I assure you. And since you always say I drive fast…" He let the question hang in the air, hoping that she would say yes even though he knew she was going to refuse because Lisbon was already walking towards the driver's seat. He had no choice but to follow.

"You know," Cho said as he watched the pair enter the truck from his rolled down window. "This chaos theory thing might actually have some substance to it."

From the back seat, Van Pelt rolled her eyes. "Well of course it has. Numerous scientists have made it a field of physics and mathematics."

"That's not what I meant."

"Oh. Sorry." She didn't sound apologetic at all. "So what are you asking?"

Rigsby meanwhile was in the driver's seat and following Lisbon's lead out of the parking lot.

Cho didn't seem to hear the junior agent's question as his mind was busy brainstorming. "What was it that you said about systems changing due to small changes Van Pelt?" Cho finally asked innocently.

* * *

I wonder if anyone knows where this is going. If not I've chosen a suggestion from redfeatherz in the only mentalist forum to write about. Reviews???? I really hope you like it.


	2. Chapter 2

This fic isn't going to be really case-centered. And this scenario might seem a bit far-fetched but it's Jisbon so come on! Oh and i googled valium but decided to just go with Rigsby's side effects.

* * *

It had turned out to be a long four hour drive in the end. Before she'd left, Lisbon had input the exact coordinates into her GPS knowing full well looking for a crime scene in such a big forest was going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

During the drive in the second SUV, Cho explained to his teammates what he had come up with.

"You know that's insane right?" Van Pelt said in incredulity, the shock evident on her pretty features. "They work together first of all."

In the driver's seat, Rigsby stiffened slightly at her words.

"Secondly this is Jane and Lisbon you are talking about!"

Cho paused for a moment but then just shrugged not really understanding where she was going. "Yeah, so?"

Rigsby took the initiative. "I think what she means is that the boss and the psychic wouldn't work out."

For a minute Rigsby's love declaration popped into Grace's mind and she couldn't help but wonder if he was also alluding to them. However she soon dismissed it from her thoughts.

"Exactly, Jane and Lisbon are so different," Van Pelt said from the back seat not seeing the flash of brilliance that just crossed Cho's eyes.

"Oh ye of little faith," he simply quoted. He looked at the rearview mirror to better catch Van Pelt's look of disbelief. "The theory says one small event can cause large scale situations right?"

"Er… yes." Van Pelt didn't like the way he kept referring to the chaos theory as if it held all the answers.

"Rigsby, you packed your left-over Valium like I asked?"

Now it was the driver's turn to feel a bit apprehensive. "Yes, but I still would like to know for what."

It was Van Pelt who connected the dots first. "Oh my God, you are going to drug them?" she exclaimed in outrage.

Rigsby suddenly burst out laughing. "Oh man, we need to get a bet going because this is going to be awesome."

"Rigsby!"

"Don't worry Van Pelt, no one is going to get hurt in this little experiment," Cho said turning to Rigsby putting on his poker face. "How much?"

"Two hundred this blows up in your face man."

"Deal." The two men shook hands, each one confident they would be the winner.

Van Pelt only sighed but otherwise remained silent in the back seat pondering Cho's plans. Everyone in the SUV remained quiet for the next few minutes until Van Pelt couldn't resist asking, "But how are you going to pull it off?"

The sides of Cho's mouth curved up. He recognized caving in when he heard it and Van Pelt's curiosity hadn't let him down.

"Easy, when we catch the bad guy, we'll all celebrate by going to a bar. We'll spike their drinks there. No harm, no foul."

"Then we must have very different definitions of harm and foul," Van Pelt quietly mumbled.

* * *

Later that night, great progress had been made in the murder of an 18 year old woman by the name of Jennie Rogers. She had gone missing two weeks ago from her house. It was determined that she hadn't been strangled in the forest, rather her body was only dumped there. According to Jane, the mother of 36 had been too stoic and composed to be truly mourning. Even the tears had felt forced to him. When Lisbon had proposed that it was shock, he merely said shock doesn't make one go out and get a French manicure and their hair colored a new blond color. Rigsby mentioned that no evidence was left behind, specifically no broken nails or hair samples to point to the mother. But Jane pointed out that the issue wasn't the broken nails, but that the mother had gone to a beauty shop after her daughter went missing which clearly pointed to a desire to look good for a man. By then, Lisbon had sent Cho and Van Pelt to every beauty salon in Willows to confirm Jane's suspicion.

When they returned, Jane was proven right. The mother had indeed visited Chez Belle's, a beauty salon not thirty minutes away from her house about a week ago. So either the mother was being very careless and uncaring or was now very impatient to impress the unknown man. But why kill the daughter Van Pelt had asked. Jane's face had tightened as he said that the mother had gotten rid of the competition.

Lisbon finally asked who the man in question was. Jane had simply answered that it was Jenny's own boyfriend. No one said anything for a while after that.

The next morning they finally had the 25 year old boyfriend's name: Peter Ferguson. Under Cho's interrogation he confessed to sleeping with both mother and daughter but that he loved Jenny and would never kill her. Cheat on her yes, kill her no. He couldn't begin to guess who would have a reason to kill his girlfriend.

Jane next interviewed the mother and noted with some interest that her transformation to look young was still ongoing. More make-up and subtle differences were noted by his blue eyes. Finally she burst into tears, sobbing about how Peter and her were truly in love no matter what and all she ever did was for him. Jane could tell the tears weren't for her dead child but out of fear for what Peter was going through. And when he had dangled Peter's arrest in her face, the mother immediately confessed. Jenny had become an obstacle in her mother's eyes because it prevented her and Peter from being a real couple. So she had killed her. Disgust was evident on Jane's face as he left the interrogation room.

* * *

Another case closed and the team was on its way back to a motel they had decided to stay in. It was very late at night and no one wanted to drive the many hours back to Sacramento since they were so exhausted from the case, both mentally and physically. Cho was doing his best to lighten the mood while ridding with Lisbon by making suggestions on where to go drink. It had taken a while for her to accept the invitation though. Lisbon was the one who in the end had recommended an Irish themed bar located some 15 minutes from their motel that she had noticed when they had first gotten here. Cho tried to seem demure but was practically bounced on the inside when he phoned the others to tell them of the new plan.

The group entered the small bar one by one each eyeing the place and all its Irish-themed souvenirs with curiosity, Jane the most. From the entrance, Cho quickly spotted a free corner table and wasted no time leading them there. Cho and Rigsby made sure that Lisbon and Jane were sitting next to each while Van Pelt glared on. Cho ignored her sour mood because there were two hundred bucks at stake now.

A young waitress quickly came by their table and set herself next to Jane, smiling lavishly at him. Not wanting to be impolite, he smiled right back and ordered his drink. Her focus was so intent on him that the rest of the customers seemed forgotten until Cho roughly cleared his throat and gave her his order. Snapping out of her trance, the young woman noted down everyone's drinks and left but not without a final smile for Jane. Lisbon just rolled her eyes but kept quiet. The drinks arrived and soon conversation flowed easily and comfortably between the CBI team as they talked about work and other easy subjects. No one had been talking about the case until much later in the night when Lisbon asked something that had been on her mind.

"So how did you know her nails were brand new?"

"Easy." Patrick immediately grinned and reached out to grab one of Lisbon's hands much to her surprise. "You see the little piece of skin here that grows over everyone's nails?"

She just nodded amusement evident in her eyes as he touched her index finger. The others watched on interested in his explanation. Although they had gotten used to Jane's uncanny abilities, he still managed to amaze them quite often.

"The bottom of her nails looked irritated and still painful. I guess she doesn't visit the best esthetician to take care of her cuticles. That and the natural nail wasn't visible under the plastic one. After about two weeks the plastic nail moves up as the natural nail grows underneath so you can see the difference. In her case, the nails were pretty new. I merely guessed the time frame."

Lisbon just raised an eyebrow and reclaimed her hand.

"You guessed?" Van Pelt asked as she took a big sip of her beer.

"It was an educated one. I don't know that much about nails."

"Of course," muttered Lisbon. Boy wonder just knew the basic time frame for nail growth.

"Alright, who wants another round, on me?" Cho asked loudly getting up.

Everyone agreed enthusiastically, happy to have a free drink. Although Jane was smiling more than was necessary at the prospect of free alcohol.

It was on his way back from the bar that Cho finally put his plan into motion and slipped the Valium into two beer mugs which he then positioned to tell them apart.

"Here we are," he said as he put the five drinks on their table. He gestured with his eyes to Van Pelt and Rigsby which ones to take hoping they would get the signal.

"Cho what is that on your neck?" Jane suddenly asked curiously.

"What, what?" Cho froze. "What is it?"

Jane was frowning slightly looking puzzled at a specific spot on his neck. Swiftly his features softened into a smile. "Oh it was a trick of the light."

Cho glared at Jane but he just continued to smile. "Sorry."

However that momentary distraction made Cho realize that the drinks had already been passed around and he didn't know who had which for sure.

"Is something wrong Cho?" asked Van Pelt too innocently in his opinion.

"No, what could be wrong?"

Shaking her head she confidently raised the glass to her lips and tipped it in Cho's direction in salute. He merely released a breath when he saw her actually drink. Rigsby went next. He eyed the amber liquid with mistrust causing Cho to become worried his plan had backfired on him along with two hundred dollars. But Rigsby visibly steeled himself and took a healthy swing.

"Didn't know you were that thirsty Rigsby," Lisbon marveled as she calmly sipped from the glass she had chosen.

Cho didn't waste time getting to his seat and downing his drink deep in thought. From what Rigsby had said, it took about half-an-hour for the pills to take affect. So they had to be gone very soon. He looked at his watch and was pleasantly surprised two hours had trickled by. Within ten minutes, Cho finished his glass. He then yawned purposefully, a subtle hint for his two accomplices it was time to go. Rigsby and Van Pelt shared a look but rose to their feet pulling out money and change for their tab.

"You guys leaving so soon?" asked Jane.

"It's already three o'clock in the morning and we have to be on the road early," Cho replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Lisbon looked at her cell to confirm that and seemed astonished that it was actually so late.

"Oh wow you're right," she said hastily getting up, "We need to be going."

"Alright we'll head out," Rigsby said, keys already in hand. He was the designated driver and so had drunk the least, as did Jane. "See you guys in the morning."

Goodnights were exchanged as Cho, Van Pelt and Rigsby left, leaving Jane and Lisbon behind. On his way out, Cho glanced back and was pleased to see all the glasses were empty.

The senior agent and consultant paid for the remainder of the bill and left the bar themselves. It was on their way to their SUV that Lisbon suddenly started feeling funny. She stopped in the middle of the road and just stood there, trying to pin the feeling down.

"Lisbon," Jane quickly caught up with her a bit alarmed as he put his hand on the small of her back as a precaution. "Are you alright?"

She kept her eyes closed and Jane did his best to figure out what was wrong. He didn't feel her swaying or tensing under his touch which meant she wasn't drunk or in pain. Slowly she opened her big green eyes and finally noticed Jane looking at her with unhidden alarm.

"My head feels woozy," Lisbon said frowning, a small pout forming on her lips. But then her face lit up as she laughed. "Woozy is a funny word."

Well that was unexpected. Jane was looking at her with a mixture of concern and incredible amusement. His observations had been right.

"Alright," Jane said gently putting a supporting arm around her small waist. "I finally get to drive tonight."

As he guided her towards the SUV, Jane couldn't help but notice how small and light she was as they walked side by side, their hips bumping at each step. Lisbon was being quite unlike herself, being led so obediently by him. But then again, she wasn't her usual self.

Jane unlocked the door and made sure she was in safely before closing it for her. The waitress was having a smoke in front of the bar and she didn't hesitate to wave at Jane as he went around the large truck to the driver's seat. Being the gentleman that he was, he waved right back, a charming smile pasted on his lips. The waitress positively beamed back.

Once on the road he would look at Lisbon every once and a while to make sure she was alright even though he knew it was useless. He thought she had fallen asleep when a droopy voice said, "She likes you."

"Who?" he answered softly not really sure who she was referring to.

"The perky waitress. Didn't you notice her fawning over you at the bar?" Lisbon said. Her drowsy eyes were half open but were staring directly at him. "And then outside?"

"Perky?" he couldn't help but say as his famous smile graced his features. "I never heard you call anyone perky. Would you be jealous by any chance, Lisbon?"

"No," Lisbon said taking her time to answer. "Just envious."

"Those are synonyms." Jane was doing his best not to start laughing because he knew even under the influence she would shut down and be angry at him.

"Really? So that means I am jealous." The look on her face was that of peaceful resignation, like she had found out something completely unexpected but had just as quickly shrugged it off and dealt with it.

Suddenly Patrick Jane was the one feeling uncomfortable. He had assumed she would brush it off and pretend to be angry at him, not actually admitting it so easily. He didn't know if he liked the way this conversation was heading. Looking sideways at the agent he wondered if she even knew what she was saying herself. However they had finally arrived at their motel and Jane found himself slightly relieved that this discussion would be over. With a pang of guilt at such a thought, he dutifully went to the passenger side to help Lisbon but she was already out and walking away towards her room. Well, at least she still had her sense of direction he thought flippantly.

He trailed her, waiting for a trip or a fall that didn't happen. She even managed to unlock her room and step in. However she didn't close the door. Shaking his blond head, he walked in behind her only to find her gone. Silently he closed it himself and went into the bedroom knowing she was going to be there. And she was. But she was laying face down, in the wrong way across the bed. Even with her small height, her arms and feet were dangling on opposite ends. It was one of the funniest things he had seen in a long time.

As if realizing his silent thoughts, Lisbon rolled herself onto her back and grabbed a pillow for her head.

"Want to lie with me?" Lisbon asked suddenly, her green eyes looking at him casually. Although Jane knew she didn't mean it in the sexual way, his heart still skipped a beat against his own will. One part of him was relieved it was a platonic request, but the other, more repressed part of him was saying what if she had asked for more?

He hesitated but nodded his head slightly because he knew deep down he wouldn't let anything happen between them. Jane deftly removed his gray jacket and threw it onto the single chair but kept his customary vest on and went to lie next to her. He put his arms under his head and watched the ceiling with the senior agent.

Suddenly a full-fledged girly giggle erupted in the room and Jane had to look at Lisbon to make sure such a sound was indeed coming from her. He had never heard her laugh so and the sound was intoxicating to his ears. It was such a free and exuberant laugh he found himself grinning like an idiot in response.

"What's so funny?" he eventually asked once the giggles were over.

"You have really curly hair." Lisbon reached over without hesitation and took one blond curl between her fingers and began twisting it.

He had expected to feel uncomfortable or even awkward at her touch but he found himself leaning in to her against his better judgment. Jane watched her face in a kind of mesmerized awe, noting the softness of her features and wondering if he had ever truly seen her right. It was such a stark difference from her senior agent persona. She almost looked like a frail doll with her big eyes and full shaped mouth. It was a sad statement that she could only be this comfortable with him when she was on drugs. Yes he had known that there was something wrong with the beers Cho had brought back. He would face him tomorrow about that... when Cho woke up from his own drug-induced slumber. But right now Jane was enjoying this time with the easy-going Theresa.

He realized self-consciously he was staring at her mouth and immediately snapped his blue eyes back up her face only to find her staring at him in a similar way. The tension in the room swiftly escalated as they looked at each other. Although Lisbon wasn't as alert, she still managed to focus on him, each blink more languid than the last, a sure sign of the drug coursing through her blood stream.

Her fingers kept toying with his hair and he didn't feel like untangling himself from her touch. Her digits stopped their movements and Jane almost sighed in a mixture of loss and relief but soon they began trailing down his face. Her slender fingers gently slid down over his forehead and around his eyes to stop at his cheekbones, making small circles there. His breath hitched in his throat when her warm fingers made contact with his lips. Her hooded eyes were too focused on what she was doing to notice his reaction to her. She seemed to be memorizing the contours of his face. Her index finger roamed back and forth between his upper and lower lip in a hypnotizing motion.

Lisbon slowly got closer to him until she was a mere inch away from his face. A beautiful smile formed on her lips and she leaned in to place a tender kiss on Jane's lips. His mind was telling him to stop her but he made no attempt to do so. Patrick Jane watched as she closed her eyes, burning the memory into his brain. He was a little shocked at first but then responded to the kiss as the heat from her lips melted any resistance from him. Jane knew he never missed a detail, but in this case he was scared to forget anything. It was a gentle and uncertain kiss but intense in its own way. Jane carefully placed a hand on her cheek enjoying the smooth skin underneath. Immediately he felt her respond as she reached for his waist. And suddenly reality came crashing down on him.

"We shouldn't be doing this," he said breathlessly against her parted lips, his forehead pressed against hers.

Maybe it was the drug induced numbness or drowsiness but she didn't flinch at his words, merely nodded and pushed herself away never once opening her eyes to look at him. Jane methodically scanned her body language for any outward signs of disappointment or anger but all he saw was a tired woman. His gut, however, was telling him another story.

"Goodnight then," Lisbon muttered as she yawned and turned away from him towards the wall. Almost right away she was soundly sleeping, a side effect from whatever had been in the drinks.

He wanted to cover her up with the duvet before he left but she was fully lying on it and he wasn't about to wake her. Jane didn't even have to consider his next move as he took his own jacket and gently put it over her small frame. A small grin appeared once he saw how much bigger the jacket was on her. She probably wouldn't have been cold during the night but he didn't want to take the chance. Quietly he left, locking the door behind him. He would give her back the keys tomorrow morning.

As he entered his own room, he felt like he had overlooked something vital but his mind was too busy processing what had just happened between Lisbon and him. It hit him a quarter of an hour later as he lied still on his own bed. Lisbon had backed away from him as if he had physically hurt her.

* * *

Please review! This is the longest chapter I have ever written. If you want, correct me on the nail growth thing because i just guessed. There was no research done whatsoever because it was such a small detail.


	3. Chapter 3

Enjoy chapter 3 and thanks for the reviews! Keep them coming!

* * *

Theresa Lisbon couldn't remember the last time she had felt as rested as she did that bright and sunny morning. Even now she remained curled up under the warm blanket cherishing this feeling she rarely got to enjoy anymore. It took her a moment to recognize where she was though because of the foreign furniture but suddenly her lips curved slightly as some snippets from last night came to her. It wasn't clear or logical, as most dreams usually weren't, but this dream in particular had involved her kissing Patrick Jane.

She snuggled further into her pillow, the smile still plastered on her face. Lisbon couldn't help but find it amusing how her subconscious always managed to create a situation she wouldn't dare try in reality. Yes, she had daydreamed about him on the rare occasion. Alright, maybe a little more but which woman hadn't? Jane could be a tourist attraction. She might work with him but she was still breathing and alive after all. The basic idea was she could look but not touch, unlike some of the other women they have had to deal with on more than one occasion. Lisbon was not the type of woman who swoons over men no matter how good looking they were.

She tried to forget about the dream and rolled over onto her other side fully determined to enjoy the rest of the morning before they had to leave. Inhaling deeply through her nose, she stopped breathing suddenly when the unmistakable smell of Jane's cologne hit her senses. It was uniquely woody and spicy with the unmistakable smell of Jane's skin. Quickly she snapped her eyes open and sat up, fully expecting him to be sitting close by waiting with some weird comment or idea about the case they had just closed. It wouldn't surprise her if he got into her motel room just to make sure she was aware of one of his brilliant observations. However she was alone.

Lisbon tried to still her frenzied heartbeat brought on by outrage and the beginnings of anger but any lingering feeling of sleepiness had vanished. Recognizing she wasn't going to fall back to sleep, she stretched languidly and swung her legs over the bed and felt what she had initially mistaken for a blanket fall to the floor. It took her a while to figure out that what she was staring at was in fact a piece of clothing. Lisbon eyed the now familiar jacket suspiciously wondering how it had gotten away from its owner and more importantly how it had come to be on her. Carefully she picked it up, holding it pinched in front of her as if expecting it to bite at any moment. She couldn't help but feel she was missing something very important.

The small woman frowned deeply as she systematically went through the previous night's events in her mind. She remembered everything well up until the bar. There she could only form bits and pieces but nothing that would explain the jacket. First, there had been the flirtatious waitress and the googley eyes she had kept sending their table, namely to Jane, then Cho volunteering free drinks without any cajoling from the team and finally herself getting lightheaded, which was a hard feat. But then what happened starts getting fuzzier. Logically Lisbon knew she hadn't been the driver because she doubted she would have made it back here in one piece. Which left the option that someone drove her, probably a tall blond who was currently missing his jacket and who was going to have a lot of explaining to do when she got a hold of him.

But that train of thought was going to have to wait until she had some water in her system to get rid of the unusual wooly feeling in her mouth. Seriously, what did she drink, gasoline? It was quite unlike any hangover she had ever had and she had suffered through some really rough ones in her lifetime.

Convinced she had drunk only hard liquor for some reason, Lisbon left the jacket on the bed and decided to make her way towards the vending machines located at the beginning of the motel. Calculating the exact change as she walked, she passed by the other agents's rooms without pausing to know if they were awake yet. Once there, she pushed the necessary button and picked up the bottle from the bottom opening. Chugging the water as if she hadn't drank anything for weeks, she strolled back towards her room and returned to bed. Lisbon practically sighed as the water rinsed away the after effects of the alcohol. She put the now empty plastic bottle on the bedside table and resumed where she left off.

Although she didn't exactly remember how she had gotten into her room last night what really kept running though her mind was the jacket's presence. It was just such a weird occurrence. Although it felt suspicious, it could just mean that Jane had helped her. She folded her arm under her head and stared blankly at the ceiling trying to recall anything. Lisbon shrugged and closed her eyes to spend the next few minutes in meditative silence, almost falling back asleep in the process. She listened absentmindedly as a loud car passed by, the roar of the engine a dull sound through the closed window. A few birds chirped here and there but nothing disturbed the small brunette.

_We shouldn't be doing this._

Loudly, Jane's gentle voice boomed inside Lisbon's head, the words echoing clearly and all too familiar. She snapped her eyes wide open, stunned at the sudden coldness spreading through her chest like liquid ice. The thudding of her heartbeat increased as the implications slowly sank in. Suddenly it didn't feel like such a great morning. Her stomach was abuzz with nervousness but she tried to stifle it down by sheer will. Lisbon wasn't going to allow herself to panic because she needed a clear head to think.

It hadn't been a dream.

Last night in her drunken stupor she must have come on to Jane and he had rejected her, albeit gently, but rejected all the same and it was just making itself felt. She must have been too drunk to understand the words otherwise she would have felt this stinging earlier. Lisbon tried to rationalize the situation but found she couldn't. She didn't even know if she could face him and his knowing eyes today. Lisbon was afraid she was going to see something else in those blue orbs now, something closer to resentment or worse, shame. She knew deep down Jane was not an available man for any woman, least of all her. What had she been thinking last night? Usually when drunk she still managed to retain some sort of control over her actions when it came to men.

Getting up quickly, she began paced the small space of the bedroom trying to come up with a way to make things better between Jane and her. Not coming up with anything she finally stopped by the window and crossed her arms over her chest as she looked outside. The only thing she could do now was apologize, she thought. But then her inner lightbulb turned on. There was a way for her not to face Jane and bring up the little incident.

She could play the drunk card and say she didn't remember anything from last night. Swinging her head from side to side as if weighing the options, she knew it was juvenile but it could prevent a very awkward situation. Besides it was true in a way. When she woke up she hadn't remembered the real details. And it was believable!

Biting her lower lip, Lisbon remained pensive as her green eyes stared at the main street not really seeing anything. In the end she decided it was for the best. It saved them both from having to face the kiss and her from complete embarrassment. The more vulnerable side of Lisbon didn't think she could take going through a conversation where Jane explains why he couldn't kiss her back without it hurting. That was one thing she didn't want him to witness on her face, the way those specific words could affect her. Realizing that she was beginning to delve too deep into her repressed feelings for Jane, she automatically stopped that train of thought.

Exhaling loudly, she realized it was easier said than done though. Lisbon was going to have to lie like she has never lied before if she expected to fool Patrick Jane's eyes.

* * *

Meanwhile a few doors down Lisbon's room.

Knock, Knock

Cho felt the noise more than he heard it which had he been in a regular state he would have found alarming. But thankfully he wasn't so grudgingly he rolled off the sofa he had unceremoniously fallen on last night and mechanically headed for the door trying not to bump anything on the way. He didn't remember getting that much alcohol into his system so he didn't understand why he felt so drowsy.

He opened the door and his eyes were immediately struck by the sheer whiteness of Patrick Jane's dress shirt shining painfully in the already hot sun. Cho chose not to focus on the consultant's wide smile exposing his white teeth for fear of blindness. That and he didn't want to see Jane's smug expression.

"Good morning sunshine," Jane said enthusiastically as he passed by Cho "And how are the side effects this morning?"

Cho closed the door and turned towards his guest. "I think I proposed to Rigsby," he deadpanned as he rubbed his forehead.

Jane couldn't help but laugh. "I take it Rigsby turned you down."

"Coffee?" pleaded Cho.

"Ah, only people who don't try to drug me get coffee in the morning."

A tense silence ensued. Cho stared at Jane while the latter swiveled his head around looking at the objects in the room. Feeling that the consultant wasn't going to provide further details, Cho didn't see the point of denying it. This was Jane he was dealing with after all.

"How did you know?"

"You were acting strange yesterday. Especially at the bar. You seemed to panic when you brought the drinks you had volunteered to buy. Actually it was quite a funny sight seeing you unclench once Van Pelt and Rigsby had chosen their poison," Jane explained.

"Really?" asked Cho curiously.

"No," Jane smiled. "Van Pelt told me of your plan at the morgue."

"Damn," Cho muttered under his breath as he shook his head. Leave it to Van pelt's conscience to cost him two hundred bucks.

"Oh don't worry, it wasn't her fault," Jane said casually, sitting himself on the green sofa. "I got it out of her. She seemed more stressed than usual in my presence. Usually I would attribute it to her irrational fear of me embarrassing her in public, but we were surrounded by dead people so there was no way for me to do so."

"That doesn't make me feel any better Jane," Cho reprimanded.

"Well I tried," was the reply.

Suddenly something clicked in Cho's foggy mind. "Wait, you knew the drinks were spiked and you still let me drug Lisbon?"

Jane visibly winced but shrugged his shoulders in the end as If saying it's too late to do anything about it now. "All Van Pelt told me was that you were going to drug me. I didn't know you were going to become a serial spiker. I should have been wearier of you Kimball Cho."

Confusion was still evident on Cho's features. "But how did you manage to switch the right drink?"

Now Jane's face lit up like that of a young child's. He really enjoyed the moments where he got to explain his tricks.

"I distracted you naturally. I used the age old ruse of you have something on your neck to be more precise."

Just as Cho was going to point out how could he have known which glass was which, Jane interrupted him.

"Evidently the spiked drinks in this case would have been the ones closest to me and Lisbon so that Rigsby, Van Pelt and yourself could have the alcoholic ones closest to your seats while the rest of us got the drugged ones. Simple as that," Jane finished, smiling boyishly.

"Right. Simple," repeated Cho.

Jane finally rose to his feet and was about to leave when he said, "Why did you do it?"

"Apart from the bet?" Cho asked.

"Of course," Jane said without missing a beat.

A quick pause followed for Cho to collect his courage. "Chaos theory."

Blue eyes stared at Cho for a little while waiting for the real reason. But Cho's face remained impassive. Jane's lips broke into a genuinely amused smile as he watched the other man smile slightly in return. Shaking his head in surprise, Jane clapped Cho's shoulder a few times and took his leave, impressed. Once outside, he said to no one in particular, "Good ol' chaos theory."

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Reviews???? Hope this chapter lived up to your expectations :)


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